Device for the simultaneous obtainment of the compression and the circulation of gaseous mixtures



1,633398 June 1927' G. L. E. PATART DEVICE FOR THE SIMULTANEOUS OBTAINMENT OF THE COMPRESSION AND THE CIRCULATION OF GASEOUS MIXTURES Filed Jan. 14. 1925 l W a Patented June 28, 1927.

PATENT OFFICE.

UNITED STATES GEORGES LEON EMILE PATABT, 01' PARIS, FRANCE.

DEVICE FOR THE SIMUL'IANEOUS OBTAINIENT 0]? THE COMPRESSION AND THE I CIRCULATION 0F GASEOUS IIXTURES.

Application filed January 14, 1925, Serial No. 2,445,-and in France January 17, 1924.

The major part of the processes which are in current use for the obtainment of the synthetic combination of gas under pressure consist in circulating the mixtures of these gases, which have been preliminarily compressed, upon a catalyst which is contained in a reaction chamber. After each passage upon the said catalyst, the portion of the gases which has combined is eliminated from the mixture by dissolving, liquefaction, combination or by, other means, whilst the part which has not entered into combination is to be circulated under pressure upon the said catalyst together with a fresh quantity of gas which replaces the amount which has entered into combination and has been therefore eliminated. I V

The functioning of processes of this kind is attended with serious difiicultieswhen high pressures must be employed as is the general rule-as concerns the construction of the circulation pumps which must operate upon the maximum pressure both for suction and delivery. It will thus be necessary to employ stufling boxes which are voluminous and complicated, and in spite of this precaution, leakage cannot be avoided, and this will occasion serious inconveniences and even a certain danger when the gases in circulation are of a noxious character, for instance when they contain ammonia or carbon monoxide.

But it has been found according to the present invention that the construction ofcirculation pumps can be much simplified and the risks of leakage diminished by combining in one apparatus the compressor itself and the circulation pump in such manner that the latter will have but a single joint where it is connected with the last cylinderof the compressor, the latter being supposed to comprise a plurality of cylinders in alignment.

In this manner the gas which tends toescape from-the cylinder of the circulation pump through the packing around the piston or piston rod will have no other em't except into the last or high pressure cylinder of the compressor, this cylinder operating at the highest pressure employed in thelatter apparatus, or near that of the gas in the circulationpump; so that the leakage willbe reduced to a minimum for any given packing arrangement, and the leaking gas w' be returned to the circuit and cannot escape into the atmosphere.

The single figure of the drawings appended to the present description shows an example of the said arrangement as applied to a compressor which herein comprises three stages of compression, and the said stages may also represent the last three stages of a compressor having a greater number of stages. It is also supposed that the cylinders are disposed in tandem, (as is the general rule) with the several pistons mounted upon a common piston rod.

The gases which are withdrawn through theconduits 1, 1 and enter into contact with both faces of. the first piston 2, which operates by double action in the cylinder 3, .3, are discharged through the conduits 4, 4, traverse the cooling device 5, and enter the second cylinder 6, 6, in which they areagain compressed by the piston 7 they are then discharged through the conduits 8, 8, traverse the cooling device 9 and enter the third cylinder 10, 10 in which they are compressed by the piston ll'and are discharged through the conduit 12, 12; they may be cooled by the cooling device 13 before entering the reac-- tion chamber 14 in which the gases become partially combined. The combined portion is eliminated in the separating device 15 by any suitable means, for example an outlet (not shown), whilst the uncombined portion proceeds through the conduit 16, '16, to the circulation pump whose cylinder 17 is a restricted extension of the third cylinder 10, 10 of the compressor itself, the piston 18 of said cylinder being formed by the extension of the piston rod '11; the gases are discharged by the piston '18 through the conduit 19 into the ipe 12 preceding'the reaction chamber.

T 18 cooling device 13-if such is usedmay obviously be disposed at 13, forwardly of the junction of the conduit 19 with the conduit 12.

If a plurality of compressors are mounted in parallel, the conduits respectively connecting the different cylinders may be suitably inter-connected, and the same is true for the circulation pumps which may be mounted upon each compressor or upon one or more compressors.

In like manner, the circulation ump, instead of being placed at the end 0 the compressor, may constitute only the next to the ill last stage of the same, this being however less advantageous; the important point is that its cylinder shall communicate withthe atmosphere, at the oint of its piston or piston rod, solely through the medium of the cylinders of the compressor wherein the opcrating pressure is the highest.

Obviously, the cylinder volume of the circulation pump should have a determined ratio to the volume of the cylinder, taking due account of the amount of the gas which becomes combined during each passage of the same through the reaction chamber. But should it be desired during the course of the operation to vary t-he amount of gas circulated without any chan e in the output of the compressor-its speed being thus unaffected, this may be carried out according to the present invention by disposing between -,the suction conduit 16 and the discharge conduit 19 of the circulation, a branch circuit 20 whose flow will be regulated by more or less opening the controlling valve 21, and the latter may be either single or double. Inversely, should it be desired to vary the output of the compressor without any change in the amount of the circulation,

the plant will comprise, between the suctionconduits 1, 1 and the discharge conduits 4, 4, of the first cylinder of the compressor, a branch conduit 22 whose output is regulated by more or less opening the controlling valve 23. This latter branch may obviously be disposed between the suction end of the first cylinder and the delivery conduit of any one of the other cylinders.

What I claim is:

1. A device for effecting the compression and the circulation of gaseous mixtures, comprising a compressor having a plurality of cylinders in series, a circulation pump whereof the cylinder is contiguous to the cylinder of the compressor which operates under the maximum pressure and the piston is secured to the piston of the said compressor, the discharge conduit of the cylinder of the high pressure compressor opening into the discharge conduit-of the pump, piping connecting together the suction conduits and the delivery conduits of the said pump, and controllin means provided in the said piping where y the output of the said circulation pump may be varied without any change in the operation of the compressor. 7

2. A device for efiecting the compression and the circulation of gaseous mixtures, comprising a compressor having a plurality of cylinders in series, a circulation pump whereof the cylinder is contiguous to the cylinder of the compressor which operates under the maximum pressure and thepiston is secured to the piston of the said compressor, the discharge conduit of the cylinder of the high pressure compressor opening into the discharge conduit of the pump, piping connecting the suction conduits with the delivery conduits of one of the cylinders of the compressor, controlling means provided in the said piping whereby the degree of compression may be varied without any change in the operation of the circulation pump.

. 3. A device for effecting the compresslon and the circulation of gaseous mixtures, comprising a compremr having arplurality of cylinders in series, a circulation pump whereof the cylinderis contiguous to the cylinder of the compressor which operates under the maximum pressure and the piston is secured to the piston of the said compressor, the discharge conduit of the cylinder of the high pressure compressor opening into the discharge conduit of the pump, piping connecting together the suction conduits and the delivery conduits of one of the cylinders of the compressor, and controlling means provided in the said piping whereby the degree of compression may-be varied without any change in theoperation of the circulation pump.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name hereto.

GEORGES LEON Ell/[[LE PATART. 

